Flush tank ball valve and lift control therefor



June 8, 1954 E. STEWART 2,680,248

FLUSH TANK BALL VALVE AND LIFT CONTROL THEREFOR Filed March 13, 1952 Fig. I

Fig.2

Earl Stewart INVENTOR.

Patented June 8, 1954 FLUSH TANK BALL CONTROL T Earl Stewart, Penwell, Tex. Application March 13, 1952, Serial No. 276,365

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in toilet flush tank constructions and has more particular reference to a lever and chain actuated ball valve whose operation is rendered more reliable and satisfactory by way of structurally novel control means for said valve, said means serving to check the lifting motion of the valve and, conversely, assisting in effectively and firmly seating the valve to prevent the latter from becoming cocked, seating improperly and thus failing to cut off the escape of water from the tank intothe bowl.

In a typical flush tank construction, there is a discharge for the flush water in the bottom of the tank which includes a suitable seat and a ball cock or tank ball normally held by the water in the tank on and closing said seat. In the type of tank most commonly used, a guide bracket including a rigid arm and an eye is attached to the overflow pipe and the tank ball has a rigid rod slidably fitted in the guide eye of the bracket. The rod is linked by another rod or piece of wire to a handle-controlled trip lever or equivalent construction. In some arrangements, as here, the tank ball is joined to the trip lever merely by a chain and since this, construction is preferred by many, it is in extensive use. It has been observed, however, that when once the chain-equipped ball is unseated for purposes of flushing the tank, the ball does not always return satisfactorily to its seat. It is therefore the purpose of the instant invention to cause the ball to travel toward and from the seat in a more or less fixed vertical path so that the lifting action is limited and the return and seating action or step is more satisfactorily and positively controlled for the stated reasons.

In carrying out the principles of the present invention a simple lever is provided. This is operatively joined at one end with the ball valve and has its opposite end pivotally mounted on fixture means carried by the overflow pipe. The fixture means embodies a stop with which the other end of the lever is engageable whereby the vertical swinging stroke of the lever is guided and limited and so that the valve which it carries opens and closes with the sureness needed and with the guarantee thatsaid valve will always seat with the required accuracy and certainty.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized by fixture means in the form of a split collar which clamps adjustably on the overflow pipe, said collar having a bracket with a journal pin and a stop element, said lever being VALVE AND LIFT HEREFOR.

Other objects, features and advantages will be- .come more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of drawmgs.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings wherein like numerals are employed t designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in section and elevation of a conventional type flush tank wherein the ball valve is connected with the improved control lever means.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section on the horizontal line 22 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the aforementioned fixture means by itself.

In the drawings, the flush tank is denoted in a general way by the numeral 4 and may be of any suitable construction. The bottom thereof is provided with water discharge or outlet means including, as a portion thereof, an appropriate seat 6 for the tank ball or ball valve 8. There is a lifting chain 10 having a headed connector l2 with a screw threaded shank I4 which is connected to the valve. The chain is operated by a suitably mounted, handle-controlled trip lever or arm I 6. The flush tank construction includes, of course, the usual Water delivery pipe, valve means and float control means (not shown) and further includes the conventional overflow pipe I8. This is mentioned because it is employed as a satisfactory place of anchorage for the fixture means 20. The latter comprises a split clamping collar 22 which embraces the overflow.

pipe and has its laterally directed ends 24 connected by an assembling and clamping screw 26. This sort of collar adapts itself to overflow pipes of varying diameters. There are only several diiferent sizes on the market, and consequently this type of collar lends itself for use on any one of the several sizes. The collar serves as a support for an L-shaped bracket 28 having one arm 30 welded or otherwise secured as at 32 to the collar. The other arm includes an extension providing a journal 34, the latter being provided at its intermediate portion with a shoulderforming flange 36. There is also a smaller L- shaped member and this constitutes a stop 38 and has its laterally bent end spot-welded or otherwise joined as at 40 to the L-shaped bracket 28. As a general rule, the stop is in the same plane as the journal pin 34. The lever 42 has an apertured end portion contacting the reduced neck portion of the ball valve and the screwthreaded member or shank I4 passes through the aperture and clamps the apertured end between the ball valve and head l2. The intermediate portion of the lever is provided with a bearing 45 which is rockably mounted on the journal pin held in place by a cotter key or the like 46. One end portion 48 of the lever projects beyond the bearing where it is in line to strike the stop finger 38. This pivotally mounted lever effectively guides the lifting and lowering movements and actions of the ball valve. The stop finger 38 prevents the valve from floating too high above the seat. It follows therefore that when the trip lever [B is operated it lifts the chain 10 and the ball valve OK the seat 6, as usual. However, the lever also enters the picture and limits the upward travel of the valve due to the fact that the end portion 48 engages the stop finger 38 in an obvious manner. When the main portion of the flush water in the tank has gushed through the outlet and into the bowl for flushing purposes, the valve, aided by the lever, returns to its seat and, due to the control action of the lever, engages the seat with requisite accuracy and certainty.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and arrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, claimed as new is:

1. For use in conjunction with a Bush tank overflow pipe, a flush tank ball valve and an operating lever for the valve, an assemblage comprising, in combination, an adjustable clamping collar adapted to be fitted removably and adjustably on said overflow pipe, a bracket formed integrai with said collar and including a journal pin, a lever provided intermediate its ends with a transverse bearing and said hearing what is being pivotally detachably mounted on said journal pin, a stop finger integrated with said bracket and disposed in spaced parallelism with said journal pin, the adjacent portion of said lever overlying said finger and being engageable with the stop finger when the lever swings in a predetermined direction, the opposite end of said being fiat and provided with a hole, a headed connector embodying a screw threaded shank passing through the hole in the lever, said valve having a screw threaded socket into which said shank is threaded, and a flexible chain joined at one end with the head of said headed connector.

2. For use in connection with an overflow pipe and a flush tank ball valve, an adjustable clamping collar adapted to be fitted on said overflow pipe, said collar being provided on its outer peripheral portion with a substantially L-shaped bracket having one end portion radial and joined with said outer peripheral portion, and having its opposite end portion spaced from and at a tangent to said outer peripheral portion, the latter including a shouldered journal pin, a lever having one end constructed for connection with a ball valve for lifting and lowering the ball valve, said lever being provided inter mediate its ends with a bearing, said bearing 1; g detachaeiy and adjustably mounted for operation on said journal pin, that end of the lever adjacent said hearing constituting a stop, and a stop finger integrated with said bracket and dispe sed in spaced parallelism in respect to said journal pin, the cooperating stop forming end of said lever being engageable with said journal pin.

teferenees Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,142,393 Halteznan Jan. 3, 1939 2,199,160 Mason Feb. 13, 1940 2,230,613 Deady Feb. 4, 1941 2,599,940 Riokena June 10, 1952 2,602,933 Curry July 15, 1952 

